Ground crew members maneuvering an aircraft using a motored vehicle, or tug, may have difficulty in being aware of potential collisions of portions of the aircraft with other objects as they are moving the aircraft. The difficulty arises in part, due to limited visibility caused by the relatively large size of the aircraft and or the tow tug, and due to potential distractions, such as other moving vehicles or ground crew members.
If a land-based ground object is in the way of the towed aircraft, the wing tips or tail of the towed aircraft may inadvertently collide with the ground object. Examples of ground objects include, but are not limited to, a hangar or other building, a lighting pole, a vehicle, or a fence. In some situations, the wing tips or the tail of the towed aircraft may inadvertently collide with a nearby stationary aircraft. Also of concern is the potential collision of the engine cowling with objects on the ground which may not be visible to the ground crew members while towing the aircraft. Such inadvertent collisions of the towed aircraft may be costly to repair, and may render the aircraft as unsuitable for flight for an undesirable period of time. Accordingly, there is a need in the arts to reduce the number and/or severity of inadvertent collisions of the towed aircraft with ground objects.